Auto lock slider for slide fastener

ABSTRACT

The present subject matter describes an Auto lock slider plastic slider for a slide fastener. According to one embodiment of the present invention the slider comprises a slider body having one or more slots formed therein. A puller means having a cam provision is integrated with the slider body. In another embodiment the puller means is attached to the slider body and not an integrated part thereof. Further, a resilient locking member having a first end and a second end is attached to the slider body so that the one end gets arrested in one of the slots in the slider body when assembled. Additionally the resilient locking member is adapted to cooperate with the cam provision to affect engaging and/or disengaging of the another end of the resilient locking member with respect to the slide fastener through another slot in the slider body thereby locking or unlocking the slide fastener.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to Auto lock slider, made of plastic, to be used in slide fasteners (Zippers) of all types, Plastic Moulded/Extruded, Ladder, Coil and Metal in all designations and operating arrangements.

BACKGROUND ART

Slide fasteners, also called zippers are very commonly known. The zipper consists of two stringers with a row of teeth specially shaped and made of metal, plastic or polyester coil. A slider, operated by hand, moves along the length of the stringers clasping together the rows of teeth. The slider is an essential component of the slide fastener. Typically, an auto lock slider is provided with a locking mechanism that automatically locks the slider to the slide fastener chain at a desired position.

Auto lock sliders with an integrated locking mechanism made of metal or plastic are well known in the art of manufacturing the slider. The components are manufactured separately, and assembled in order to form the slider.

FIG. 1 illustrates a conventional slider. The various components of the slider are a cap assembly 3, a locking pin 4, a puller 5 and a slider body 6. The cap assembly 3 further comprises a cap 1 and a leaf spring 2. The leaf spring 2 is cut into an appropriate shape and fixed inside the cap 1. The locking pin 4 is made from a metallic strip preferably steel or copper alloy with protective plating. The body 6 and the puller 5 are manufactured by process such as injection moulding. Thus, the manufacturing process of the conventional five-piece slider involves separate processes such as cutting, stamping or injection moulding for each component. At the assembly stage, all these components, such as the body 6, puller 5, locking pin 4 and cap assembly 3 are assembled manually or automatically. A series of steps are involved in attaching the components to one another making the manufacturing process very tedious and time consuming.

The conventional plastic Auto lock sliders as described and also similar others existing sliders suffer from a number of limitations like poor puller strength, reduced reliability due to multiple parts and expensive process of manufacture. Further, the leaf spring 2 used in the conventional configuration has to be accurately cut and positioned inside the cap 1 to ensure proper operation of locking mechanism. More importantly, while painting such a slider, the paint that gets deposited in the cavity of the cap 1 and leaf spring 2 often makes the locking mechanism ineffective and unreliable.

There has been therefore a continuous need for a plastic Auto lock slider that would on one hand be simple and cost effective in manufacturing and on the other hand would eliminate the limitations associated with conventional sliders to provide strength of the puller, effective locking function and operate with reliability, unaffected by problems of paint deposition or the like. Moreover, it is desired to have sliders for slide fasteners which can be made by a simple manufacturing process suitable for all types of slide fasteners made of different types of material and having the usual pair of stringers with coupling elements for a wide range of applications.

OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION

The basic object of the present invention is thus directed to providing a plastic Auto lock slider for slide fasteners that would on one hand be simple in construction and on the other hand would provide a safe with desired puller strength and user friendly slider with secured lock arresting the sliding motion in a secured manner and provide for desired reliability of performance of the slider assembly.

Another object of the present invention is directed to an Auto lock plastic slider which can be adapted for manufacture of sliders for slide fasteners of wide range/combination of materials for its different components and for use with various slide fasteners made of different materials.

A still further object of the present invention is directed to said Auto lock plastic slider which would be simple and cost effective to assemble/manufacture with minimum skill and tools and importantly involving minimum number of operative components with desired puller strength and reliable performance.

Yet further object of the present invention is directed to an Auto lock plastic slider of simple configuration directed to achieve simplicity in construction including the body and the puller adapted for injection moulding integrally or moulded separately or by insert moulding depending upon the material chosen for puller and body with a selective locking member of resilient material of desired shape, to facilitate the reliable and fail free locking and/or unlocking of the slide fastener during use.

A still further object of the present invention is directed to said auto lock plastic slider adapted with user friendly and safe operation for slide fasteners such that the locking and unlocking action could be performed involving minimum of operative components in a selective configuration without any failure in achieving such desired functions even in the presence of paints or the like.

Various modifications of the disclosed objects, as well as alternate objects of the subject matter, will become apparent to persons skilled in the art upon reference to the description of the subject matter. It is therefore contemplated that such modifications can be made without departing from the spirit or scope of the present subject matter as defined.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Thus according to the basic aspect of the present invention there is provided an auto lock plastic slider for slide fasteners comprising:

a slider body having slots formed therein; a puller means provided with a cam like arrangement; a resilient locking member, and a slide fastener chain said slider body adapted such that once assembled through the slot at one end, said resilient locking member get arrested with respect to said slider body, said resilient locking member is adapted to cooperate with said cam provision in said puller means so as to effect engaging and disengaging of the other end of said resilient locking member with respect to said slide fastener chain through a slot in said slider body to thereby lock or unlock said slide fastener.

According to another aspect of the invention there is provided an auto lock plastic slider for slide fasteners comprising: an integrally formed slider body having slots formed therein and a puller means provided with a cam like arrangement; and a resilient locking member, said slider body adapted such that once assembled through a slot at one end said resilient locking member gets arrested with respect to said slider body, said resilient locking member adapted to cooperate with said cam provision in said puller means such as to effect said engaging and disengaging of the other end of said resilient locking member with respect to said slide fastener through a slot in said slider body to thereby lock or unlock said slide fastener.

In the above disclosed auto lock plastic slider for slide fasteners a slot at the rear of the slider body is adapted to secure said one end of the resilient locking member with respect to the slider body and a slot on the top of the slider body adapted to allow said other end of the resilient locking member to engage or disengage with respect to said slide fastener chain within the slider body.

In accordance with an aspect of the invention, said resilient locking member at said end region is adapted to get secured with respect to said slider body and is provided with a suitably shaped end portion which gets arrested within a correspondingly adapted slotted region at the rear of said slider body and said other end of the resilient locking member is adapted to facilitate said engaging and disengaging of the resilient locking member with the slide fastener chain.

In the auto lock plastic slider for slide fasteners of the invention, said puller means comprise a cam like protrusion adapted to enable said resilient locking member to engage or disengage with the slide fastener chain to ensure locking and unlocking of the slide fastener. The resilient locking member is configured to match the profile of the body and puller and its assembly with respect to the slider body slots. Also, the disposition of puller position provides for the locking and unlocking with the selective disposition of puller on top side of slider providing for the unlocking.

The slider body and the puller in the auto lock slider of the invention can be obtained by integral injection moulding or insert moulding selectively based on the material for the puller and the slider body.

The resilient locking member used in the auto lock plastic slider for slide fasteners of the invention is made of elastic material.

Also, according to another aspect of the invention, in the auto lock plastic slider for slide fasteners the bridge of the puller is supported by two bails in the body for desired puller strength.

Advantageously, the auto lock plastic slider for slide fasteners of the present invention comprises a plastic/synthetic material slider preferably suited for painting applications. Moreover, in the auto lock plastic slider for slide fasteners the slider body and the puller are selectively made of same or different plastic and/or metal and/or any composite material.

The auto lock plastic slider for slide fasteners of the invention is thus adapted to comprise selectively plastic moulded slide fastener, Ladder type slide fastener, Polyester coil slide fastener and metal type slide fastener.

The details of the invention, its objects and advantages are explained hereunder in greater detail in relation to the non-limiting exemplary illustrations as per the following accompanying figures.

These and other features, aspects, and advantages of the present subject matter will become better understood with reference to the following description, non limiting exemplary illustrations as per the following accompanying figures and appended claims. This Summary is provided to introduce a selection of concepts in a simplified form. This Summary is not intended to identify key features or essential features of the claimed subject matter, nor is it intended to be used to limit the scope of the claimed subject matter.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE ACCOMPANYING FIGURES

The above and other features, aspects, and advantages of the subject matter will become better understood with regard to the following description, appended claims, and accompanying drawings where:

FIG. 1 illustrates the design of an existing slider which consists of body 6, puller 5, cap 1, leaf spring 2 and lock pin 4.

FIG. 2 illustrates a slider 10 in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention. The slider 10 comprises a slider body 7, a puller means 8 moulded integrally to the slider body 7 and a resilient locking member 9.

FIG. 3 illustrates the resilient locking member 9 of the previous embodiment fitted into the slider body 7 through the puller means 8.

FIG. 4 illustrates the unlocking and locking action of the resilient locking member 9.

FIG. 5 illustrates the slider 10 in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention wherein a slider body 12 and a puller means 13 are moulded separately and then assembled with a resilient locking member 14.

FIG. 6 illustrates one embodiment of the present invention of slider 10 suitable for coil type slide fastener.

FIG. 7 illustrates another embodiment of the present invention of slider 10 adapted for plastic moulded slide fastener

FIG. 8 illustrates another embodiment of the present invention of slider 10 adapted for ladder type slide fastener.

FIG. 9 illustrates another embodiment of the present invention of slider 10 adapted for metal type slide fastener

It is to be noted, however, that the drawings illustrate only a preferred embodiment of the invention and is therefore not be considered as limitations of the invention's scope as it may admit to other equally effective embodiments, as there are different slide fasteners, in which sliders are arranged in varied combinations.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION WITH REFERENCE TO THE ACCOMPANYING FIGURES

Please refer to FIGS. 2 to 6. As discussed hereinbefore, the present invention is directed to auto lock plastic sliders for slide fasteners wherein the assembly consist of 3 pieces or 2 pieces such that the slider body (7) and the puller (8) is injection moulded integrally or insert moulded or individually moulded depending upon the material chosen for puller (8) and slider body (7). The auto lock slider of the present invention comprises of a slider body (7), a puller (8) and a resilient locking member (9). The resilient locking member (9) in the present slider arrangement is made of elastic material to a desired shape adapted to favour safe and secured locking and unlocking of the slider body (7) with slide fastener chain (20,21,22,23) of the slide fastener. Importantly, the slider body (7) is provided with slots (18,19) wherein the resilient locking member (9) is assembled such that it cannot become detached once assembled in position. The slider body (7) and a cam like protrusion (16) provided on the puller bridge (17) which causes engaging or disengaging of the resilient locking member (9) with slide fastener chain (20,21,22,23) of the slide fastener.

Reference is now invited to accompanying FIG. 2 that illustrates the 2 piece auto lock plastic slider (10) according to the present invention, where in the slider body (7) and the puller (8) are shown integrally moulded and a resilient locking member (9) of a selected shape provided that matches the shape of the slider body (7) and puller (8). Said resilient locking member (9) is further adapted to be assembled into the appropriate slots (18, 19) provided on the slider body (7) to favour desired locking action. Reference is next invited to the accompanying FIG. 3 wherein the manner of fitting the resilient locking member (9) through the puller (8) and into the slot (18, 19) provided in the slider body (7) is further illustrated. Reference is further invited to accompanying FIG. 4 wherein the locking and unlocking action is illustrated. As would be apparent from said figure, by positioning the puller (8) horizontally, its protruding cam like portion (16) allows the resilient locking member (9) to engage securely with the slide fastener chain (20, 21,22,23) and by lifting the puller (8) vertically the resilient locking member (9) is pulled upwards by the cam like portion and disengages from the slide fastener chain. It is important to note with respect to this embodiment of the present invention that the favoured locking action of the slider (10) with the slide fasteners, is achieved when the puller (8) is lying flat (horizontal) along the top surface of the slider body (7). The state of unlocking function of the slider (10) is achieved by positioning the puller vertically (8), whereby the resilient locking member (9) gets lifted up in to the slot (19), by the action of the cam (16).

Reference is now invited to accompanying FIG. 5, which illustrates yet another embodiment of the present invention wherein the slider body (12) and the puller (13) are moulded separately from plastic material and then the resilient locking member (14) is assembled providing the same desired objective. Here the puller (13) is pushed into the slit (29) provided in the body (12). Due to elastic nature the puller gets snap fit into the body. And the resilient locking member (14) of different shape is fit into the slots of the slider body. The slots (29) also have energy directors (30) for ultrasonic welding for additional strength, if required.

Accompanying FIGS. 6, 7, 8 & 9 illustrate the particular embodiments of the present invention while applied for a Coil type slide fastener (FIG. 6), plastic moulded slide fastener (FIG. 7), Ladder type slide fastener (FIG. 8) and a metal type slide fastener (FIG. 9) respectively. It is thus possible by way of this invention to provide for an auto lock slider plastic slider with a minimum number of components and adapted to be used for slide fasteners of all types and of all materials such that the locking action of the slider can be achieved in a secure manner without failure, particularly any malfunctioning in the event of deposition of paint into the cavities or slots on the mating surfaces of the resilient locking member and the slider body. Importantly, the present invention advantageously provides a simple construction and assembly procedure of the auto lock slider comprising fewer components or pieces requiring minimum effort and tools and thus avoiding expensive and complicated process of manufacture/assembly for the auto lock sliders conventionally involving multiple components. Advantageously, the auto lock plastic sliders of the present invention is further adapted to provide higher strength of the puller by way of selectively configured integrally moulded slider body with puller such that the bridge of the puller is strong enough to give the required puller strength for the slider for an user friendly and reliable slide fastener operation. From the design and implementation standpoint, the aforementioned selection vis-à-vis the assemblage and specifications thereof, aggregate number of parts therein, the total number of parts for the assemblage of the slider suggested herein are merely illustrative of the present subject matter and in no way limit the scope of the present subject matter. Various modifications to the aforementioned embodiment may be readily known to persons of ordinary skill in the art having the benefit of the present subject matter. 

1-16. (canceled)
 17. Auto lock plastic slider for slide fasteners comprising: an integrally formed slider body having slots formed therein and a puller means provided with a cam like arrangement; and a resilient locking member, said slider body adapted such that once assembled through a slider slot one end of said resilient locking member is fixed to said slider body, said resilient locking member adapted to engage with said cam like arrangement in said puller means such as to effect the engaging and disengaging of the other end of said resilient locking member with the slide fastener chain through a slot in said slider body to thereby lock or unlock said slide fastener.
 18. Auto lock plastic slider for slide fasteners according to claim 17 wherein a slot at the rear of the slider body is adapted to secure said one end of the resilient locking member with respect to the slider body and a slot on the top of the slider body adapted to allow said other end of the resilient locking member to engage or disengage with respect to said slide fastener within the slider body.
 19. Auto lock plastic slider for slide fasteners according to claim 17 wherein said resilient locking member at said end region adapted to get attached to said slider body is provided with a suitably-shaped end portion which gets arrested within a correspondingly adapted slotted region at the rear of said slider body and said other end of the resilient locking member is adapted to facilitate said engaging and disengaging of with respect to the slide fastener chain.
 20. Auto lock plastic slider for slide fasteners according to claim 17 wherein said puller means comprise a cam like protrusion adapted to facilitate said resilient locking member to directed engage or disengage with the slide fastener chain to ensure the locking and unlocking of the slide fastener.
 21. Auto lock plastic slider for slide fasteners according to claim 20 wherein the position of the puller provides for locking and unlocking with the disposition of puller on top side of the slider body providing for locking and vertical positioning of the puller providing for unlocking.
 22. Auto lock plastic slider for slide fasteners according to claim 17 wherein the slider body and the puller are obtained of injection moulding integrally or separately moulded or insert moulding selectively based on the material for the puller and the slider body.
 23. Auto lock plastic slider for slide fasteners according to claim 22 wherein the slider body and the puller are selectively made of same or different plastic and/or metal and/or any composite material.
 24. Auto lock plastic slider for slide fasteners, the slide fastener having two stringers forming a slide fastener chain, comprising: a slider body having slots formed therein; a puller means provided with a cam like arrangement in the puller bridge; and a resilient locking member, said slider body adapted such that once assembled through a slider slot one end of said resilient locking member is fixed to the slider body, and said resilient locking member is adapted to engage with said cam like arrangement in said puller means such as to effect the engaging and disengaging of the other end of said resilient locking member with the slide fastener chain through a slot in said slider body to thereby lock or unlock said slide fastener.
 25. Auto lock plastic slider for slide fasteners according to claim 24 wherein a slot at the rear of the slider body is adapted to secure said one end of the resilient locking member with respect to the slider body and a slot on the top of the slider body adapted to allow said other end of the resilient locking member to engage or disengage with respect to said slide fastener within the slider body.
 26. Auto lock plastic slider for slide fasteners according to claim 24 wherein said resilient locking member at said end region adapted to get attached to said slider body is provided with a suitably-shaped end portion which gets arrested within a correspondingly adapted slotted region at the rear of said slider body and said other end of the resilient locking member is adapted to facilitate said engaging and disengaging of with respect to the slide fastener chain.
 27. Auto lock plastic slider for slide fasteners according to claim 24 wherein the puller bridge is supported by two bails in the slider body for desired puller strength.
 28. Auto lock plastic slider for slide fasteners according to claim 24 wherein said puller means comprise a cam like protrusion adapted to facilitate said resilient locking member to directed engage or disengage with the slide fastener chain to ensure the locking and unlocking of the slide fastener.
 29. Auto lock plastic slider for slide fasteners according to claim 28 wherein the puller is press fitted into slits of the slider body, the resilient locking member is secured to the assembly by passing through a hole in the puller and by engaging with one end in the rear slot of the slider body.
 30. Auto lock plastic slider for slide fasteners according to claim 29 wherein both slits have a protruding point in their middle section to enable welding of the slider assembly.
 31. Auto lock plastic slider for slide fasteners according to claim 28 wherein the position of the puller provides for locking and unlocking with the disposition of puller on top side of the slider body providing for locking and vertical positioning of the puller providing for unlocking.
 32. Auto lock plastic slider for slide fasteners according to claim 24 wherein the slider body and the puller are selectively made of same or different plastic and/or metal and/or any composite material.
 33. Auto lock plastic slider for slide fasteners comprising resilient locking member is made of elastic material giving it characteristics of a spring.
 34. Auto lock plastic slider for slide fasteners according to claim 33 wherein the resilient locking member has a shape matching the shape of the slider body and the puller allowing the assembly of the resilient locking member with the slider body slots.
 35. Auto lock plastic slider for slide fasteners comprising plastic/synthetic material slider preferably suited for painting applications.
 36. Auto lock plastic slider for slide fasteners comprising selectively plastic moulded slide fastener, Coil type slide fastener, Ladder type slide fastener and metal type slide fastener. 